of chicago



H.'r. MOORE May 30, 1933. ROAD GUARD Original Filed July 3, 1930 l Reissued May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE Q HAROLD T. MOORE, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB. TO TUTHILL SPRING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS ROAD GUARD Original No. 1,839,328, vdated Uanuary 5, 1932, Serial No. 465,589, filed July 3, 1930. Application for reissue led February 23,

This invention relates to a road guard. It has for onev object to provide a guard which kmay be applied along one or both edges of a road to prevent vehicles from running off. It has for another object to provide a guard of such construction that a vehicle running into it or grazing it will not be injured. Another object is to provide Such a ard Which is yielding and will tend. to cus ion the shock of the vehicle against it. Another object is to provide such a guard in which a. continuous and smooth contacting surface is provided a ainst which a Vehicle may run'and along w ich it may slide or scrape without damage to the vehicle or to the guard or fence.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification and claims.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically inthe accompanying drawing wherein: I 1

Figure 1 is a plan view showing my guard in position along a road at a curve;

Figure 2 is a side elevation' of a portion of the guard rail construction; Figure 3 is a. side elevation with parts in section,V showing one form of the invention' Figure, 4 is a similar view showing my invention in modified orm;

Figure 5 is a detai1ed.longitudinal cross section showing a joint in the guard member.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout the specification and ,drawgA indicates a road surface. The road may, of course, be of any suitable construction. My invention is not limited to association with any particular road lsurface or construction. Along the road surface or adjacent it there are positioned a number of posts B. The posts may be perforated as at B1 and through these perforations a cable or bar B2 may be positioned. i While I havev shown only a single cable, obviously additional cables mightfbe used.

C is a'spring element curved as shown.,

It is preferably attached to the post B adjacent the ground level. Thus any strain 1983. 'sensi No. 659,353.

or shock transmitted through the spring elei ment C to the post B comes upon the post close to the ground and the danger of break- 1ng or dlslodging the post is reduced. The sprlng elements C may be fastened to the posts in any suitable manner as, for example, by boltsV C1, C1. A concave striking or contacting piece is formed preferably of a number o members C2 which are fastened to the springs C by bolt C3 or otherwise. As shown in detail in Figure 5, if the striking member is made up of a number of pieces, they are preferably joined butt to butt and at the joint a .plate C4 isfastened by rivets C5 or otherwise. A

-As illustrated in Figure 4, a modified form of spring member is used. This isa spring member D which, throughout the major portion of its length, may be'smilar to the mem ber C. It is fastened to or mounted upon the fence post, for example by bolts D1, D1

and it is provided with a downwardly and rearwardly curved extension D2. A striking ure `3 -`or Figure 4, the contacting plate or guard rail presents a continuous and smooth surface' toward the roadso that a vehicle running off the road sufficiently to strike this guard plate will not contact anything which will directly stop it but will merely run against and slide or scrape along the rail Vuntil the operator has stopped the vehicle or has again lbrought it back onto the road surface. -In eitherform, since the rail is spring held by means either ofthe springs C o'r D, a certain amount of yielding is possible. This, of course, tends to cushion the effect of th shock due to the vehicle contact and thus to protect thevehicle and the guard rail struc-v the fence post B or the striking plate D3 in case one is used. If pressure continues thereafter, the s ring part D2 may be further compressed an bent' and thus a further yielding of the guard rail is permitted but the resistance to yielding is greater after the spring D has been sufiiciently bent to bring the spring portion Drin contact with either the fence post or with the striking plate D upon it.

The cable or bar B2, bein situated above the vehicle contacting mem er C, tends to strengthen the fence structure and also in case a vehicle might strike with such force as to tip over, it tends to prevent the vehicle fromtip ing completely over. Thus there is provide in addition to the guard rail, a further safety4 device which in the case of extremely violent contact tends to prevent complete tippin .over of the vehicle.

The main ve icle contacting portion or ard rail C2 is preferably situated at about t e height from theground of a hub. It is sufiiciently wide so that it will be contacted by the hub of almost any standard vehicle. Its width is such as to accommodate vehicles of a good many different axle or hub heights. Thus in my invention I provide, upon one side or on both sides of a road, a continuous, smooth and preferably concave ribbon of metal which is preferably of spring steel. The concavity of this ribbon strengthens or reinforces it,A making it stronger and less liable to being deformed than if it were flat. 'Ihisribbon is set out fromv the fence posts or the supporting structure for it. It is spring held so that it may yield outwardly.l ItY is of a height to be contacted by the hubs of almost all standard vehiclesandthere is associated with it a. cable or upper safety structure designed to be contacted only by vehicles which are partially tipped over and to prevent their further tipping. The additional vspring portion D2 which further cushions the ribbon C2' is useful butnot essential. The cable or bar Bz'also is useful in strengthening the fence structure but the action of thespring C may under many circumstances be sufhcient and the bar or cable B be omitted.

I claim:

1. yIn a guard rail construction for roads, a vehicle guard` member, a supporting structure therefor, comprising fixed supports, spring supports on said fixed supports and attached thereto at a point adjacent the ground surface, said spring supports formed with.a plurality of spring portions, one adapted to come into operation when the other has yielded a predetermined degree and thereby to increase' resistance to further movement of the guard member.

2. In a. guard rail construction for roads, a vehicle guard member, a supporting structure therefor, comprising fixed supports,`

wardly and upwardlyv from the road withrespect tothe position of said first mentioned gu ard member.

3. In aguard rail construction for roads, a

vehicle guard member, formed of spring material, a supporting structure therefor, comprising fixed supports, spring supports on said fixed supports and attached thereto at a point adjacent the groundsurface said last mentioned supports constituting the sole connectiolrbetween theguardmemberand the fixed supports, and a second vehicle guard member carried by said supporting structure and positioned outwardly and upwardly from the road with respect to the position of said first mentioned guard member. y

4. In a guard rail construction for roads, a continuous, smooth surfaced, concave vehicle guard member, formed of springmaterial, a supporting structure therefor, comprising fixed supports, spring supports on said fixed supports and attached thereto at a point adjacent the groundl surface, said spring supports formed with a plurality of spring portions, one adapted to come into operation when the other has yielded a predetermined degree and thereby to increase resistance toiurther movement of the guard member.

5. In a guard rail construction for roads,

a continuous, smooth surfaced, concave vehicle guard member, formed of sprmg material, a supporting structure therefor, comprising fixed supports, spring supports on said fixed supports and attached thereto at a point adjacent the ground surface, said spring supports formed with a plurality of spring portions, one adapted to come into operation when the other has yielded a predetermined degree and thereby to increase resistance to further movement of the guard i member, and a. second vehicle guard member carried by said supporting structure.

6. Ina guard rail construction for roads, a continuous, smooth surfaced, concave ve. hicle guard member, formed of spring materia-l, a supporting structure therefor, comprising fixed supports, spring supports on said fixed supports and attached thereto at a point adjacent the groundv surface. said spring supports formed with a plurality of spring portions, one adapted to come into operation when the other has yielded a pre determined degree and thereby to increase resistance to further movement of the guard member, and a second vehicle guard member carried b said lsupporting structure, and positione outwardly and upwardly from the road with respect to the position of said first mentioned guard member.`

7. In a guard rail construction for roads, a vehicle guard member in the form of a longitudinally extending ribbon of metal ositioned generally at the height of the hu o1 passing automobiles, a plurality of longitu dinally spaced fixed supports therefor, posi tioned along the side of the road, and spring supports positioned on said fixed supports and secured thereto adjacent the ground level of said fixed supports, said spring supports extending upwardly from the ground level and inwardly from the fixed supports and terminatingin freeends to which the ribbon is attached.

8. In a guard rail construction for roads,

ya vehicle guard member in the form of a longitudinally extending concave ribbon of metal positioned generally at the height of the hubs of passing automobiles, a plurality of longitudinally spaced fixed supports therefor, positioned along the side of the road, and spring supports positioned on said fixed supports and secured thereto adjacent the ground level of said fixed supports, said spring supports extending upwardly from thel ground level and inwardly from the fixed supports and terminating in free ends to which the concave ribbonis attached, the concave side of said ribbon facing outwardly from-the road in such fashion that whatever car hubs engage said 'ribbon will engage the convex inner face thereof.

9. In a guard rail construction for roads, a vehicle guard member which includes a longitudinally extending metal ribbon itioned generally at the heights of the hubs of passing automobiles, fixed supportin means therefor, land a plurality of lea l springs, each such leaf spring being secured only at one end to the fixed supporting means, adjacent the ground level, and extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom toward the road, the guard member being secured to the free upper portions of said leaf springs.

10. In a guard rail construction for roads, a vehicle guard member which includes a longitudinally extending metal ribbon positioned generally at thev heights of the hubs of passing automobiles, fixed supporting means therefor, and a plurality `of, leaf springs, each such Aleaf spring being secured only at one end to the fixed supporting means, and extending inwardly therefrom toward the road, the guard member being secured to the free outer portions of said leaf s rings.

, 11. In a guard rail construction For roads` or the like, a vehicle guard member which includes lsupporting means positioned adjaat the heights of the hubs of cent the side of the roadway, a plurality of leaf springs, each such leaf spring being secured only at one end to said supporting means and extending inwardly from said supporting `means toward the road and guard means secured to the free outer portions of said leaf springs, said guard means including an extended metal ribbon positioned gen erally at the heights of the hubs of passing automobiles, said ribbon being formed of a plurality of separate members.

12. In a guard rail construction for roads or the like, a vehicle guard member which includes supporting means positioned adjacent the side of the roadway, a plurality of leaf springs, each such leaf spring being secured only at'one end of said supporting means and .extending inwardly from said supporting means toward the road and guard means secured to the free outer portions of said leaf springs, vsaid guard means including an exe tended metal ribbon positioned generally at the heights of the hubs of passing automobiles, and being concavo-convex in vertical transverse section, the convex side facinginwardly toward the road.

13. In a guard rail construction for roads or the like, a vehicle guard member-.which includes supporting means positioned adjacent the side of the roadway, a pluralityof leaf springs, each such leaf spring being secured only at one end to said supporting means and extending inwardly from said supporting means toward the road and guard means securedto the free outer portions of said leaf s rings, said guard means including an extende metal ribbon positioned generally assing automobiles, the longitudinal axes osaid springs lying in generally vertical planes transverse to theY road.

14. In a guardrail construction for roads or the like, a vehicle guard member which includes supporting meansI positioned adjacent the side of the roadway, a plurality of leaf springs, each such leaf` spring beingsecured only at one end to said supportingmeans and extending inwardly from said supporting means toward the road and guard means secured to the free outer portions of said leaf 4 springs, said guard means including an exdivi ually directly secured to the leaf springs;

15. In a guard rail construction for roadsi A or'the like, a vehicle guard member which in,

cludes supporting means positioned adjacent 'the side of the roadway, a plurality of leaf springs, each such leaf sprlng being secured A only at one end to said supporting means and extending inwardly from said supporting means toward the road and guard means secured to the free outer portions of said leaf springs, said guard means including an extended metal ribbon positioned generally at the heights of the hubs of passing automobiles, said ribbon being formed of a plurality of separate members, said separate members being secured at their ends to each other and being additionally directly secured to the leaf springs.

16. In a guard rail construction for roads or the like, a vehicle guard member which includes supporting means positioned adjacent the side of the roadway, a plurality of leaf springs, each such leaf spring being sec ured only at one end to said supporting means and extending inwardly from said supporting means toward the road and guard means secured to the free outer portions of said leaf springs, said guard means including an extended metal ribbon positioned generally at the heights of the hubs of passing auto` mobiles, each such leaf spring including a curved end portion to which the metal ribbon is secured, the metal ribbon being concavoconvex in vertical transverse section, the convex side facing inwardly toward the road and the concave side conforming generally to the curved end portion of the sprmgs.

' 17. In a guardrail construction for roads or the like, a vehicle guard member whch'includes supporting means positioned adjacent the side of the roadway, a plurality of leaf springs, each such leaf spring being secured only at one end to said supporting means and extending inwardly from said supporting means toward the road and guard. means secured to the free outer portions of said leaf springs, said guard means including an extended Ametal ribbon positioned generally at the heights of the hubs of passing automobiles, said ribbon being formed of a plurality of separate members, the supporting meansadjacent the roadway including a plurality of upright posts-each leafspring being secured to'one of said posts. Y

18. In a guard rail construction for roads or the like,a vehicle guard member which includes supporting means positioned adjacent the side of the roadway, a plurality of leaf springs, each such leaf spring being sccured only at one end to said supporting means and extending inwardly from said supporting means toward the road and guard means secured to the free outer portions of said leaf springs, said guard means including an extended metal ribbon positioned generally at the heights of the hubs of passing automobiles, each such leaf spring including a curved end portion to which the metal ribbon is secured, the metal ribbon being concavoconvex in vertical transverse section, the convex side facing inwardly toward the road and the concave side conforming generally to the curved end portion of the springs, the supporting means adjacent the roadway including)a plurality of upright posts, each leaf spring eing secured to one of said osts, each such spring including a generally atportion secured directly to a post and conforming generally to the opposed surface of the post, the longitudinal axes'of the springs lying in genrally vertical planes transverse to the roa 19. In a guard rail construction for roads,

'a vehicle guard member which includes a longitudinally extending metal ribbon positioned generally at the heights of the hubs of passing automobiles, fixed supporting means therefor, and a plurality of leaf springs the long axis of each such leaf spring lying generally ina vertical plane transverse of the road, and extending inwardly froln the xed supporting means toward the road and being secured to said supporting means, the guard member being secured to portions of said springs remote from the pints of attachment of the springs to the supporting means, each. such spring being secured to said supporting means-at one point only.

HAROLD T. MOORE. 

